Open compartment pontoon deck



Oct. 16, 1934- KRAMER 1,976,734

OPEN COHPARTMENT PONTOON DECK Filed May 23, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. A. KRAMER Fild May 25. 1931 OPEN COMPARTMENT PONTOONDECK K Na mm mm i Oct. 16, 1934.

Patented Oct. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Andrew A. Kramer,Kansas City, Mo., assignor to George D. Beardsley, Kansas City, Mo.

Application May 23, 1931, Serial'No. 539,495

4 Claims.

My invention relates to floating decks for tanks, and more particularlyto an open topped pontoon floating deck provided with a cover or watershedding means.

5 It is a purpose of my invention to provide a floating deck that has aplurality of separate water tight compartments, which are open on thetop side thereof, which floating deck is provided with rain or watershedding means overly- 10 ing said compartments, said water sheddingmeans being detachably mounted thereon.

More particularly, my invention comprises a floating deck having a bodyportion which is partitioned so as to divide the same into a plurality 5of water tight compartments, preferably arranged in a plurality ofconcentric circular series on the deck, said floating deck beingprovided with water shedding means covering said compartments andinclined from the outer peripheral 20 edge of the deck toward the centerthereof to direct water falling on said cover toward a drain well at thecenter of said floating deck. The open topped pontoons or water tightcompartments are preferably arranged so that the compartments ofadjoining circular series are arranged in offset or staggered relationto each other, and are preferably provided with bracing means betweenthe ends thereof, the bracing means aligning radially with the dividingwalls of the compartments of adjoining circular series.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a cover for myimproved floating deck which serves as rain or water shedding meansoverlying the tops of all the pontoons and resting on 35 the top edgesof the dividing wall portions, said cover member comprising a pluralityof sections detachably mounted on said floating deck.

More particularly, my invention comprises a cover member for an open toppontoon floating deck, which is interlocked with the deck at the rimportion thereof, and which comprises segmental sections that have theadjoining edges thereof interlocked, said segmental sections beingdetachably secured to the floating deck at the inner ends thereof.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as thedescription of the drawings proceeds. I desire to have it understood,however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the particular detailsshown or described, but that I intend to include as part of my inventionall such obvious changes and modifications as would occur to a personskilled in this art and as would fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved floating deck, partly broken away,the cover and certain other portions being partly broken away to moreclearly reveal the construction thereof.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3-is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, on an enlargedscale.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section of the outer or rim portion of thefloating deck taken substantially on a radial plane, and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, my improved floating deck comprisesa pan-like body portion, having a bottom Wall 10, and a peripheralupstanding rim portion 11. Said floating deck is provided with aplurality of circular par- 75 jtitions that are substantially concentricwith the rim portion 11, two of such partitions being shown at 12 and 13in the drawings, and being provided with oppositely directed. flanges 14and 15, the flanges 14 being secured to the bottom wall of said floatingdeck by welding or in any other manner to obtain a fluid tight jointbetween the same. The partitions 12 and 13 are thus substantially Zshaped in cross section, and the flanges 15 form circular ledges, thepurpose of which will be described below.

The floating deck is further provided with an upstanding circularpartition 16, which has an outwardly directed flange 17 welded to thebottom 10 of the deck, and with an inwardly directed flange 18 servingas a circular ledge or lip extending inwardly from the top edge of thedrain well 19 thus formed at the central portion of said floating deck.

Between the circular partition member 12 and the rim portion 11 of thedeck extend in equidistantly spaced relation, the radially extendingpartition members 20, dividing the deck into a plurality of segmentalopen topped compartments 21 arranged in a circular series around thedeck. Said partitions are made also with oppositely directed top andbottom flanges 22 and 23 respectively, the flanges 23 being welded tothe bottom 10 to provide a fluid tight joint between said partitions 20and the bottom 10, while the flanges 22 provide inclined ledges whichare substantially flush with the outwardly directed flange 24 on the rim11, and with the top flange 15 on the circular partition member 12.

Similar partition members 25 extend radially between the circularpartition members 12 and 13, but are arranged in staggered relation tothe radial partitions 20. The partitions 25 are provided with bottomflanges 26, which are welded to the bottom 10 of the floating deck andwith the flanges 27, which are inclined from the partition 12 to thepartition 13 so as to be flush with the flange 15 on said partitions 12and 13. The flanges 26 and 27 are oppositely directed so as to providepartition members that are substantially Z shaped in cross section. Thepartitions 25 are preferably, equidistantly spaced to provide aplurality of similar segmental compartments 28 between the same and thewalls 12 and 13. The deck is further provided with similar partitions29, also extending radially, located between the circular partition 13and the circular wall 16 that defines the drain well. The partitions 29are staggered relative to the partitions 25, but are aligned with thepartitions 20. The partitions 29 have a lower flange 30, which is weldedto the bottom 10 of the deck, and an upper flange 31, which is inclinedfrom the partitions 13 to the wall portion 16 so as to be flush with theflange 15 on the wall 13, and with the flange 18 on the wall 16. Theradial partitions 29 are spaced equidistantly around the deck to providea plurality of segmental compartments 32, arranged around the drain well19.

By the staggered arrangement of the radial partitions 20, 25 and 29, andthe provision of the ledges along the top edges thereof formed by theflanges 22, 27 and 31, in combination with the flange 24 on the rim 11,and the flange 18 on the drain well 19, serve as supporting means for acover for the floating deck, which is detachable therefrom and whichserves as a rain shedding means to prevent entrance of water that fallson the deck into the pontoons. The cover is made up of a plurality ofsections which are segmental, and which extend from the rim of the deckto the drain well. In the case of a small deck these would all be madein one piece, but in the construction shown, the deck would be of such asize that the sheets from which the cover member sections are made,would not be of suflicient size that the same would extend from the rimto the drain well, and the sections are shown as being spliced betweenthe outer and inner edges thereof, being made up of three separatepieces, but being constructed so that the same will be secured togetheras a unit and serve as a unit in the assembly of the device.

Each of said rain shed or cover sections is made up of the members 33,34 and 35. The members 33 and 34 are made exactly alike and are eachprovided with a hook-like flange 36, which interlocks with the flange 24on the rim 11, and are also each provided with a radial flange 37 alongone edge thereof, and a hook-like flange 38 in the other edge thereofsubstantially inverted U-shaped in cross section so that the open sidethereof is downward, the hook-like flanges 38 embracing the flanges 37so as to be interlocked therewith. The same numerals are applied tothese parts in the case of both the members 33 and 34, as they aresubstantially identical in construction.

The members 35 are also constructed in the same manner as the members 33and 34, except that they do not have the hook-like flange 36, merelyhaving the radial flanges 37 and 38 and being similarly interlocked. Theinner edges of the members 35 overlie-the flange 18, and are securedthereto in any suitable manner, as by means of the bolts 39. Thesections 35 lap under the sections 33 and 34 slightly, and are securedthereto by means of the bolts 40 extending through said overlappingportions, and the bolts 41 extending through the flanges on the members35, 33 and 34 at their overlapping portions. Thus a unit is provided,which is segmental in section, made up of the members 33, 34 and 35 thatinterlocks with the rim 11 and rests-on the flanges provided on the topsof the partitions that form the segmental compartments or pontoons, andis secured to the inwardly directed flange or lip on the drain well 19.

While the members 33, 34 and 35 may be secured together by any desiredmeans and by any desired arrangement of the joint to obtain a liquidtight joint of sufficient stiffness to permit handling of the sectioncomprising the members 33, 34 and 35, one form of such joint is shown inFig. 6, and in order to provide the liquid tight joint at the point ofconnection of the members 33, 34 and 35, compressible gaskets or washers42 are provided under the nuts on the bolts 40.

The bolts 41 extend through a flange 37 on a member 33, through a flange37 on a member 35, and through the portion 38' of a flange 38 on amember 35, the portion 38' of the flange 38 on the member 35 being cutaway for a distance at the end thereof so that the same extends merelyat right angles to the body of the section, instead of being U-shaped,as it is throughout the remainder of said section. The inverted U-shapedflange 38 on the member 34 at said joints is spread slightly to permitthe passage of three thicknesses of the material, that is, the flanges37 and the one flange 38' between the vertical portions thereof so thatthe widened portion 38' of the flange 38 on the member 34 covers andhouses the flanges on the members 33 and 35 with which it is joined bymeans of the bolts 41.

It will be evident that the hook-like flanges 38 not only interlock thesections and the members 33, 34 and 35 of the sections on the radialedges thereof, but also provide a joint that is weatherproof, in thatrain or water falling on the cover for the floating deck will not enterunder said cover at this joint because of the flanged nature thereof andthe covering that is provided over the flange 37 by the U-shaped flange38.

The compartments or open topped pontoon portions that are provided inthe floating deck by means of the partitions above described areprovided with bracing means between the ends thereof, said bracing meansextending substantially radially and comprising angular members, theangular braces being welded or otherwise secured in fixed position tothe bottom 10, and to the circular wall portions with which the sameengage at the end thereof. These braces are arranged so that theysubstantially align with the radial partitions, separating the pontoonsof the adjoining circular series. This will be evident from Figs. 1, 2and 3, in which the angular braces in the outer series of pontoons 21are designated by the numeral 43, those in the intermediate series ofpontoons 28 by the numeral 44, and those in the inner series of pontoons32 by the numeral 45.

The outer rim portion 11 of the deck is provided with an angular bracket46 intermediate the top and bottom edges thereof, upon which isdetachably mounted a flexible sealing means 47, the same being securedin position by means of the securing members 48.

I claim:-

1. The combination with a tank, of a deck adapted to float on the liquidin said tank comprising a body portion having a central drain well and aplurality of concentric series of compartments surrounding said drainwell, and a cover overlying said compartments and overlapping the edge,of said drain well, the compartments of adjoining series being arrangedin staggered relatlon.

2. A floating deck comprising a body portion having a plurality ofpartitions therein dividing said body portion into a plurality ofcircular series of segmental compartments, the radial partitions ofadjoining series of said compartments being oifset, and water sheddingmeans comprising a plurality of segmental cover sections resting on thetop edges of said partitions.

3. A floating deck having-an upstanding rim, a central drain well, andupstanding walls on top of said deck between said rim and drain well,and a cover for said deck comprising a plurality of sections resting ontop of said upstanding walls and on the top edge of said drain well,interlocking means on said cover sections and said rim and meansdetachably securing said cover sections to said top edge of said drainwell.

4. A floating deck having an upstanding rim, a central drain well, andupstanding walls on top of said deck between said rim and drain well,and a cover for all said deck except said drain well comprising aplurality of interlocking sections resting on top of said upstandingwalls, and means for securing said sections on said deck.

ANDREW A. KRAMER.

